LOWER MANHATTAN (PIX11) – An important crime-fighting tool these days is technology. The NYPD’s CompStat program is indicative of that.

CompStat is the department’s computer system for collecting, tracking and analyzing crime data. Doing so helps police target and tackle issues.

Tuesday evening, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey presided over a regular meeting of NYPD leaders and commanding officers. But what was unique about this meeting, members of the community and PIX11 News were invited for the very first time, gaining insight into the CompStat Community Forum.

“We do want the community to direct us to what’s going on, what’s really troubling the community, to work with us so we can address these issues,” said Maddrey. “NYPD CompStat numbers are available to the public in an online database.”

The NYPD started CompStat in the 1990s when crime was skyrocketing, and since then, police departments worldwide have adopted it.

“We originally started on the wall with colored thumbtacks to figure out where crimes were happening,” said Maddrey.

Tuesday evening’s community leaders listened in over Zoom. It’s opening a dialogue with the upper echelons of the NYPD to voice what they need in their neighborhoods. The mayor and police commissioner kicked off the meeting.

At the heart of it, CompStat is about partnerships with each of the more than 75 local precincts and the communities they represent; working in tandem to better address crimes and quality of life.

“CompStat is really about accountability and just us learning how to be better, really understand what’s going on, so we can give the community what they need,” said Maddrey.

This won’t be the last time a CompStat forum will be open to community leaders. Chief Maddrey said they plan on bringing in another community in another borough to also listen to their needs.